Kochi, June 7: Kerala will seek the help of China to develop mini-hydel projects in the State. State electricity minister Pinaray Vijayan said that the an expert team from China will visit Kerala on July 7 in this regard.The team likely to be in Kerala for ten days will conduct workshops on mini-hydel projects besides providing training to the State Electricity Board officials.

China is also likely to set up a mini hydel power station in the state on an experimental basis, the Minister said. The state electricity minister was speaking on the occasion of the commissioning of the first-stage of the Brahmapuram Thermal plant near her on Thursday.

The minister said that the state government has already approved setting up of 26 mini-hydel projects in the state.

The government is also willing to entrust the setting up of small and mini-hydel projects to public sector undertakings, cooperatives, and local bodies.

The minister also said that the state will require an investment to the tune of Rs 2,600 crore for moderinsing distribution and transmission facilities in the State.

Inaugurating the first non-hydel power project in the state, chief minister EK Nayanr said that power crisis in the state will be resolved in the next five years.

He said that load shedding in the State will be completely withdrawn in next three years. At present the state is having 25 per cent powercut on domestic users and 50 per cent on industrial consumers.

KSEB Chairman Rajagopal requested the government to free the Electricity Board from the financial burden of subsides. He said that the Board is trying to develop as a professional orgainsation and subsidies are not in tune with the new approach of the oraganisation.

The Rs 345-crore 100 mw plant delayed for a year consists of five units of 20 mw each. Trial production of the first generator commenced a few weeks ago. The other four units would go on stream one within next few months bringing relief to the power starved State to a certain extent. The French firm Semt Peilstick has supplied the engines and Gec Alsthom the generators.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.